Latest news with #MohammedVInternationalAirport
Ya Biladi
15-05-2025
- Ya Biladi
Swedish national wanted for sexual assault arrested in Casablanca
Security personnel at Mohammed V International Airport in Casablanca arrested a 68-year-old Swedish national of Turkish origin on Wednesday, based on an international arrest warrant issued by Swedish authorities, a security source said. The man was detained upon arrival from Turkey after a check against the Interpol database revealed a red notice issued earlier in 2024 by Stockholm's national central bureau. He had been convicted in Sweden for violent sexual assaults committed in 2021. The suspect was placed in custody pending referral to the public prosecutor. Interpol's national central bureau in Rabat, under Morocco's General Directorate of National Security, has notified its Swedish counterpart as part of the extradition process.
Morocco World
15-05-2025
- Morocco World
Morocco Arrests Internationally Wanted Swedish Suspect at Casablanca Airport
Rabat — Police at Casablanca's Mohammed V International Airport arrested a 68-year-old Swedish citizen of Turkish origin on Wednesday. The suspect, wanted on an international arrest warrant, arrived on a flight from Turkey when authorities detained him. A routine screening of the Interpol database led airport security officials to discover a red notice issued in early 2024 by Stockholm's National Central Bureau against the suspect. Swedish judicial authorities had issued the warrant to enforce a prison sentence against the man for violent sexual assaults committed in 2021. Police placed the suspect in custody pending his appearance before prosecutors. Morocco's National Central Bureau of Interpol in Rabat, which operates under the General Directorate of National Security (DGSN), notified their Swedish counterparts about the arrest as part of the extradition process. The operation is part of Morocco's ongoing efforts to maintain security, part of the country's security cooperation with Interpol to arrest internationally wanted individuals. On April 17, the country's police apprehended three individuals of Chinese, Ukrainian, and Lithuanian nationalities. The suspects, aged between 22 and 25, were subject to international arrest warrants issued by American judicial authorities for drug trafficking and money laundering. Morocco plays a significant role in Interpol and is currently serving as the intelligence organization's vice president. Interpol has repeatedly commended Morocco's efforts against international crime, stressing its role as a crucial partner. Tags: InterpolMorocco's PoliceSexual assaultSwedish suspect
Zawya
06-05-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Morocco's STAM awarded Casablanca airport enabling works contract
Moroccan engineering and construction firm STAM (Société de Travaux Agricoles Marocaine) has been awarded a construction contract for the new terminal at Mohammed V International Airport in Casablanca, as part of a broader infrastructure upgrade tied to the country's 2030 FIFA World Cup preparations. The company bid 294 million Moroccan dirhams (approximately $29 million) to secure the site preparation and enabling works contract, local Arabic language news portal said The contract marks the start of construction phase of the MAD 15 billion Casablanca airport expansion plan which is scheduled for completion by 2029, one year before Morocco co-hosts the World Cup with Spain and Portugal. (Writing by Majda Muhsen; Editing by Anoop Menon) (
Morocco World
25-04-2025
- Business
- Morocco World
Emmanuel Macron Applauds Morocco's Kénitra-Marrakech High-Speed Rail
Doha – French President Emmanuel Macron has saluted Morocco's launch of construction works for the Kénitra-Marrakech high-speed rail line (LGV), a major infrastructure project inaugurated by King Mohammed VI on Thursday at the Rabat-Agdal train station. 'Franco-Moroccan cooperation is advancing at high speed! His Majesty King Mohammed VI launched yesterday the works on the new high-speed rail line between Kénitra and Marrakech,' Macron wrote today on social media platform X. 'This is the concrete result of partnerships formed between our companies during my state visit to Morocco last October,' he added, concluding: 'Long live the friendship between Morocco and France!' The 430-kilometer line represents a MAD 53 billion ($5.3 billion) investment, excluding rolling stock. It forms part of a larger MAD 96 billion ($9.6 billion) program that includes the acquisition of 168 new trains for MAD 29 billion ($2.9 billion). According to Khalid Khairane, director of high-speed rail projects at Morocco's National Railways Office (ONCF), construction will proceed according to the established timeline to be ready for the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which Morocco will co-host with Spain and Portugal. 'In 2029, we will begin testing on this line to start operations at the end of the same year,' Khairane told the press, noting that studies for the project began in 2022 and three-quarters of the required land has already been acquired. The new line will drastically cut travel times along Morocco's key economic corridor. Journeys will take just 1 hour between Tangier and Rabat, and 1 hour 15 minutes between Casablanca and Marrakech. Read also: Morocco's $9.6 Billion Investment Plan to Connect 43 Cities by 2040 Travel between Tangier and Casablanca, as well as Rabat and Marrakech, will be reduced to 1 hour 40 minutes, while the full stretch from Tangier to Marrakech will take only 2 hours 40 minutes—saving more than 2 hours compared to current travel times. The LGV will also connect Rabat to Casablanca's Mohammed V International Airport in just 35 minutes while serving the new Benslimane stadium. Additionally, high-speed service between Fez and Marrakech will take 3 hours 40 minutes. Luciano Borges, director of equipment at ONCF, revealed that the project includes the acquisition of 18 new-generation high-speed trains (320 km/h) with a capacity of 641 seats each, to be supplied by French manufacturer Alstom. This will expand Morocco's current fleet from twelve to thirty trains. 'Beyond the high recyclability criteria required for these trains (over 97%), the selection process of manufacturers has established judicious partnerships for controlled maintenance through the development of suitable industrial tools,' Borges explained. The high-speed line will serve 59% of Morocco's population and connect economic regions representing more than 67% of the national GDP. It will create thousands of direct and indirect jobs while stimulating several sectors, including industry, services, and tourism. The international press has widely covered the project launch, with Business Insider Africa writing that it 'reinforces Morocco's position as a continental leader in infrastructure development,' noting that the country already operates Africa's only functional high-speed rail network. The project reflects Morocco's strategic vision for sustainable development, particularly promoting collective mobility solutions with a low carbon footprint, while positioning its high-speed rail as a technological showcase for African countries seeking fast and sustainable transport solutions. Tags: Emmanuel MacronKenitra MarrakechMorocco France Relations
Morocco World
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Morocco World
Ex-Raja President Boudrika Handed Over to Moroccan Authorities
Mohamed Boudrika, the former MP and president of Raja Club Athletic, has finally landed in Morocco after being extradited from Germany where he'd been holed up in custody since July 2024. Escorted by Moroccan police who flew to Frankfurt to collect him, Boudrika touched down at Casablanca's Mohammed V International Airport last Thursday – bringing an end to his eight-month legal limbo in Europe. The 42-year-old was nabbed at Hamburg Airport last summer under an international arrest warrant issued by Rabat. He's accused of a list of crime including issuing bounced checks, fraud, swindling, and document forgery. In February, Germany's top court in Hamburg gave the green light for his extradition. The country's Federal Office of Justice then rubber-stamped the handover after ironing out the legal details. Now back in Morocco, Boudrika was transferred to Ain Sebaa prison – commonly known as Oukacha where he will remain in custody pending further investigations and trial. Attempts by his legal team to halt the extradition through Germany's Constitutional Court were ultimately unsuccessful. His case will now proceed under the Moroccan judicial system. Boudrika, who previously served as an MP before being stripped of his parliamentary mandate by Morocco's Constitutional Court in January, has now been taken to Ain Sebaa prison – commonly known as Oukacha. He is expected to appear before an investigative judge at Casablanca's Court of Appeal to face the charges, chief among them issuing bad checks. In a prior ruling, Boudrika was convicted in absentia by the Ain Sebaa court and handed a one-year suspended sentence along with a fine of MAD 232,500. Further legal proceedings will now unfold on Moroccan soil. Tags: Mohamed BoudrikaRaja Athletic Club
